Semua Bab Rejected then Claimed by the Alpha: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Serena’s POV I thought my world had ended, and I was just in a trance, or dreaming, or perhaps in the afterlife. Everything bad under the sun couldn’t be happening to me at once. No one deserved this much pain. Not a mother, not me. Yet there I was, standing in my son’s room, unable to breathe, unable to touch him, unable to save him. Ari lay on the bed, his body damp with sweat, small hands clawing at the sheets as if he were fighting an unseen enemy. His chest rose too fast, too heavy, like something was trying to burst out of him. Kael was there, holding him down with strength that should have comforted me, but instead only reminded me how powerless I was. Ari fought even against him, growling, teeth bared a sound no child should ever make. And me? I couldn’t even get close. The moment I tried, his body twisted with more pain, his wounds deepened, and his growls turned into screams that pierced straight through me. My own son… rejecting me. My presence hurt him. The ache of

Serena I closed the door and leaned against it, the book heavy in my hands, and my body shook from exhaustion and fear. The house was too quiet, as if the walls themselves knew what I carried, and I pressed the book to my chest, thinking of Ari, of the way he had cried when I touched him, of Kael’s eyes that had turned cold and unreadable. I whispered to myself, “I have it now. I have the truth,” but there was no time to rest and no time to breathe before a knock came at the door. The guard stood there, his face grim, and when he said, “The boy is worse,” my heart dropped. I nodded. “Take me.” The ride back was silent. My head pressed to the window as the trees rushed past, the road stretching endlessly, and my hands never left the book. When we arrived, I felt the fear before I saw it. The halls were alive with whispers: “She shouldn’t be here,” “She’ll hurt him again,” “Poor child…” I walked faster, keeping my eyes forward, until I heard him. Ari. My boy. His weak, broken

Serena I had been checking on Ari for the third time that morning, my steps quiet on the floors as I moved from room to room, and when I finally saw him sleeping peacefully, calm at last after the fever that had stolen him from me yesterday, I allowed myself a tiny, trembling breath, daring to hope that this moment of peace might last even for a few minutes, but the silence around the house felt too heavy, too sharp, and my skin prickled as if warning me that it would not. A soft step in the hallway drew my attention immediately, and I saw her, Elyra, slipping past the doorway like a shadow, her movements careful, slow, almost theatrical in their precision, as though she did not want anyone to notice her, and my chest clenched as every instinct in me screamed that she meant to harm him, to take him from me before I could stop her, and I could not, would not, let that happen. I stepped forward quietly, feeling the weight of the small book in my pocket, my fingers tightening aroun

Serena’s POV I spread the books in front of me, their weight pressing down on my chest like stones I had carried for years. Each one had caused nothing but trouble, but none more than Elyra had. She had been the danger, not me, and I refused to carry anything that could ever harm my son or anyone else in this house. I wanted out. I wanted to be human again. I wanted a life free from power I never asked for, free from curses, spells, and the heavy weight of a bloodline I had never claimed. I sank to the floor and crossed my legs, resting my hands on the books as I took a slow, steadying breath. My eyes closed, and I whispered the words I had memorized, the ancient call that had been passed down through my line. These were the words that reached the blood of my ancestors, the witches who had come before me, who had carried the same magic I had only felt rising for a brief, terrifying time. I did not picture them as ghosts or spirits floating above me. I did not see a circle of sha

Serena’s POV Rain was coming down in sheets, drumming against the glass like a thousand tiny hammers. I hated rain. Hated how it soaked everything, blurred shapes, and made the world slippery. But Ari… Ari loved it. “Please, Mama! Let me play!” he begged, tugging at my hand. Water ran down his hair, soaking his coat. “No,” I said firmly, tightening my grip. “It’s wet. You’ll get sick. Come inside.” He squirmed and wiggled, trying to slip free. “But I’m five! I can handle it!” I groaned, bending to scoop him up. He wriggled like a little fish in my arms. His laughter, bright and loud, made my chest ache and my resolve weaken. I wanted to scold him. I wanted to pull him inside. But I couldn’t stop smiling. Then I saw Kael. He was at the doorway, standing tall, rain plastering his dark hair to his scalp. Silver eyes glinted. Calm, unshakable, impossible. My chest tightened. “You’re not stopping him,” Kael said softly, but the sound carried over the rain. Calm, sure, but no